The preceding vehicle selection device includes a processor configured to estimate a continuous running distance from a present time of a surrounding vehicle based on information relating to the surrounding vehicle for each of a plurality of surrounding vehicles, estimate a followable distance when the host vehicle follows the surrounding vehicle based on the continuous running distance from the present time of the surrounding vehicle for each of the plurality of surrounding vehicles, and select the preceding vehicle from among the plurality of surrounding vehicles based on the followable distance. The information relating to the surrounding vehicle includes at least one of an SOC or an amount of remaining fuel of the surrounding vehicle, and a continuous running time or a continuous running distance up to the present time of the surrounding vehicle.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An autonomous vehicle control system comprising: a host vehicle, which is an autonomous vehicle having a plurality of actuators configured to control acceleration, deceleration, and steering of the host vehicle, the plurality of actuators being controlled to autonomously drive the host vehicle; and a preceding vehicle selection device for selecting, from among a plurality of candidate preceding vehicles, a preceding vehicle suitable to be followed by the host vehicle, the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles located ahead of the host vehicle in a travelling direction of the host vehicle, the preceding vehicle selection device comprising: a wide area communicator configured to communicate with the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles; and a processor configured to: acquire via the wide area communicator, from each of the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles, information including at least one of (a) a state-of-charge or an amount of remaining fuel of the candidate preceding vehicle, and (b) a continuous running time or a continuous running distance that the candidate preceding vehicle has been continuously driven up to a present time; estimate, for each of the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles, a continuous running distance that the candidate preceding vehicle can travel from the present time without stopping based on the information acquired from the candidate preceding vehicle via the wide area communicator; estimate, for each of the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles, a followable distance by which the host vehicle can follow the candidate preceding vehicle based on the continuous running distance that has been estimated for the candidate preceding vehicle; and select the preceding vehicle that the host vehicle is to follow from among the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles based on the followable distance that has been estimated for each of the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles, wherein the plurality of actuators are controlled to cause the host vehicle to autonomously follow the preceding vehicle that has been selected for the host vehicle to follow.
2. The autonomous vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor of the preceding vehicle selection device is configured to estimate, for each of the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles, the continuous running distance that the candidate preceding vehicle can travel from the present time without stopping by calculating a possible cruising distance of the preceding candidate vehicle from the present time based on the state-of-charge or the amount of remaining fuel of the surrounding candidate preceding vehicle.
3. The autonomous vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor of the preceding vehicle selection device is configured to estimate, for each of the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles, the continuous running distance that the candidate preceding vehicle can travel from the present time without stopping by calculating a possible driving distance from the present time of a driver of the candidate preceding vehicle based on the continuous running time or the continuous running distance that the candidate preceding vehicle has been continuously driven up to the present time.
4. The autonomous vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor of the preceding vehicle selection device is configured to estimate, for each of the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles, the continuous running distance that the candidate preceding vehicle can travel from the present time without stopping by (1) calculating a possible cruising distance of the preceding candidate vehicle from the present time based on the state-of-charge or the amount of remaining fuel of the preceding candidate vehicle, (2) calculating a possible driving distance from the present time of a driver of the preceding candidate vehicle based on the continuous running time or the continuous running distance that the candidate preceding vehicle has been continuously driven up to the present time, and (3) setting a shorter distance among the possible cruising distance and the possible driving distance as the continuous running distance that the candidate preceding vehicle can travel from the present time without stopping.
5. The autonomous vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor of the preceding vehicle selection device is configured to calculate, for each of the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles, an effect index representing an effect when the host vehicle follows the preceding candidate vehicle for a predetermined distance based on the information acquired from the candidate preceding vehicle via the wide area communicator, and select the preceding vehicle that the host vehicle is to follow from among the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles based on the followable distance and the effect index.
6. The autonomous vehicle control system according to claim 5, wherein the processor of the preceding vehicle selection device is configured to estimate a continuous running distance that the host vehicle can travel from the present time without stopping based on information relating to the host vehicle, and set, for each of the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles, a shorter distance among (i) the continuous running distance that the candidate preceding vehicle can travel from the present and (ii) the continuous running distance that the host vehicle can travel from the present time.
7. The autonomous vehicle control system according to claim 6, wherein the processor of the preceding vehicle selection device is configured to estimate the continuous running distance that the host vehicle can travel from the present time without stopping by calculating a possible cruising distance of the host vehicle based on a state-of-charge or an amount of remaining fuel of the host vehicle.
8. The autonomous vehicle control system according to claim 6, wherein the processor of the preceding vehicle selection device is configured to estimate the continuous running distance that the host vehicle can travel from the present time without stopping by calculating a possible driving distance from the present time of a driver of the host vehicle based on a continuous running time or a continuous running distance that the host vehicle has been continuously driven up to the present time.
9. The autonomous vehicle control system according to claim 6, wherein the processor of the preceding vehicle selection device is configured to estimate the continuous running distance that the host vehicle can travel from the present time without stopping by (1) calculating a possible cruising distance of the host vehicle based on a state-of-charge or an amount of remaining fuel of the host vehicle, (2) calculating a possible driving distance from the present time of a driver of the host vehicle based on a continuous running time or a continuous running distance that the host vehicle has been continuously driven up to the present time, and (3) setting a shorter distance among the possible cruising distance and the possible driving distance as the continuous running distance that the host vehicle can travel from the present time without stopping.
10. The autonomous vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the preceding vehicle selection device is provided on the host vehicle.
11. The autonomous vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the preceding vehicle selection device is provided on a server that is separate from the host vehicle, the wide area communicator is configured to communicate with the host vehicle, and the processor of the preceding vehicle selection device informs the host vehicle, via the wide area communicator, of the preceding vehicle that has been selected for the host vehicle to follow.
12. A vehicle control method of controlling a host vehicle that is an autonomous vehicle having a plurality of actuators configured to control acceleration, deceleration, and steering of the host vehicle, the plurality of actuators being controlled to autonomously drive the host vehicle, the method executed by a computer and including: acquiring via a wide area communicator, from each of a plurality of candidate preceding vehicles that are located ahead of the host vehicle in a travelling direction of the host vehicle, information including at least one of (a) a state-of-charge or an amount of remaining fuel of the candidate preceding vehicle, and (b) a continuous running time or a continuous running distance that the candidate preceding vehicle has been continuously driven up to a present time; estimating, for each of the plurality of candidate vehicles, a continuous running distance that the candidate preceding vehicle can travel from the present time without stopping based on the information acquired from the candidate preceding vehicle via the wide area communicator; estimating, for each of the plurality of candidate vehicles, a followable distance by which the host vehicle can follow the candidate preceding vehicle based on the continuous running distance that has been estimated for the candidate preceding vehicle; selecting a preceding vehicle that the host vehicle is to follow from among the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles based on the followable distance that has been estimated for each of the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles; and controlling the plurality of actuators to cause the host vehicle to autonomously follow the preceding vehicle that has been selected for the host vehicle to follow.
13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for controlling a host vehicle that is an autonomous vehicle having a plurality of actuators configured to control acceleration, deceleration, and steering of the host vehicle, the plurality of actuators being controlled to autonomously drive the host vehicle, the computer program causing a computer to: acquire via a wide area communicator, from each of a plurality of candidate preceding vehicles that are located ahead of the host vehicle in a travelling direction of the host vehicle, information including at least one of (a) a state-of-charge or an amount of remaining fuel of the candidate preceding vehicle, and (b) a continuous running time or a continuous running distance that the candidate preceding vehicle has been continuously driven up to a present time; estimate, for each of the plurality of candidate vehicles, a continuous running distance that the candidate preceding vehicle can travel from the present time without stopping based on the information acquired from the candidate preceding vehicle via the wide area communicator; estimate, for each of the plurality of candidate vehicles, a followable distance by which the host vehicle can follow the candidate preceding vehicle based on the continuous running distance that has been estimated for the candidate preceding vehicle; select a preceding vehicle that the host vehicle is to follow from among the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles based on the followable distance that has been estimated for each of the plurality of candidate preceding vehicles; and control the plurality of actuators to cause the host vehicle to autonomously follow the preceding vehicle that has been selected for the host vehicle to follow.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
October 28, 2022
February 25, 2025
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